A great quarterback opens a window, and that’s exactly what the signing of Mike Reilly did in B.C.

But the Lions slammed it down on their own fingers, over and over, through the first 11 games of Reilly’s first season in Vancouver. They simply couldn’t keep him on his feet long enough to throw the great deep ball that makes Reilly one of the most accomplished QBs in the Canadian Football League.

And now, after four straight wins, after Reilly just threw five TD passes in a rout of Toronto, after star receiver Bryan Burnham and Reilly hooked up for three of those majors and showed everyone what the future could look like, the 5-10 Lions will probably be on the outside looking through that window at post-season action.

The next point in the standings surrendered by B.C. or gained by Edmonton sends the Lions into next-year country.

“I didn’t expect us to come out and go undefeated the first year, but I did expect us to be a great football team, and I knew it was going to take some time,” Reilly said during a phone interview on Tuesday. “Any time you get that many different pieces in the room for the first time, from the coaching staff to all the players, there is going to be a learning curve that we’re all working through.”

GM Ed Hervey fired offensive line coach Bryan Chiu, and after his replacement, Kelly Bates, tweaked schemes and practice agendas, players bought in and Reilly wasn’t being sacked nearly as often. Confidence spread from the O-line to the receivers, who knew they had time to work themselves open. Defence and special teams rode that wave of momentum.

And Reilly knew on Sept. 6, in a five-point loss in Montreal, that they’d be OK. They haven’t lost since.

“Unfortunately, it took too long for it to start, to where we can’t guarantee ourselves a spot in the post-season,” he said. “I would love to say we’re peaking at the right time, that we want to be the best team going into the playoffs. We do. We want to be the team playing the best brand of football when the season ends, but we may be sitting at home watching everybody else play even if that is the case. That’s the reality. That part sucks.

“Whether it’s for post-season this year or the beginning of next season, I have seen and I hope to continue to see this team improve and keep marching toward building a championship program. I do believe the pieces are here and I think everybody is starting to figure that out in our room and it’s exciting.”

A 1-10 team can implode or emerge, and the Lions did the latter on the strength of talent like Reilly’s and leadership from head coach DeVone Claybrooks.

“That’s a really, really tough job and I do have to commend coach Claybrooks for that,” said Reilly. “It’s a tough scenario and a stressful scenario for a very veteran coach who has years and years of coaching and championships under his belt. Of course, Clay is not a first-year coach, he’s been a part of a bunch of championship teams in Calgary, but he is a first-year head coach.

“A lot of people would show cracks. They would start to freak out and show panic. That was never the case. It’s not like he would show up all smiles and laughs and say, ‘Whatever, we lost another one but who cares as long as we’re having fun.’ That certainly wasn’t the case.

“There was always that sense of urgency that things needed to get fixed, but at the same time belief in what he was building, belief in his coaching staff, in the players. Trying to make alterations to improve, but not just blowing the whole thing up and pointing the finger somewhere else. That’s what good leadership is. He did a good job helping us weather that storm.”

They beat Ottawa back-to-back, got the better of an Alouettes’ team that didn’t have Vernon Adams Jr. at the helm, then dismantled Toronto, to get to 5-10. But the hole was so deep that even if they run the table, including a win in Edmonton on Saturday, the Eskimos would also have to lose their remaining two games for the Lions to claim the crossover playoff spot.

“We are all aware of those situations and scenarios,” said Reilly. “But I think more importantly, we’re aware of what has got us success in the win/loss column the last four weeks, and that’s not caring about any of that stuff.”

REILLY, BOWMAN OLD-SCHOOL WARRIORS

John Bowman and Mike Reilly, as old-school as football players get, shared a moment of reflection while trudging off the B.C. Place field late last month.

Bowman had just sacked Reilly twice, but the Lions beat the Als 25-23.

“We were walking off the field, just giving each other credit for what we’ve done and accomplished,” said Bowman, a 14-year defensive end who has played 228 regular season games in the Canadian Football League, all for Montreal. “One thing we both agreed on was being there for our teammates.

“I’ve torn things, I’ve broken things, I’ve sprained things, probably shouldn’t have played a few times and I did. But for me, growing up in the era that I did, if you couldn’t walk, that’s the only way you wouldn’t play.

“It’s a different time, and I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, good or bad, it’s just different from the era of football I grew up in.”

Even as Bowman’s on-field stats gained attention — he had a career-high 19 sacks in 2015 — he was always most proud of strapping it up.

“Everybody always talks about sacks and tackles and interceptions and stuff like that, but for me, in 14 years I have missed maybe 16 games (to injury). There are guys who have played in the league for 12 years and they’ve missed way more games than me. Availability, being accountable and being able to be there through injuries, through ups and downs, that’s one of the major accomplishments for me.”

The same standard certainly applies to Reilly, who at 34 has played in 154 regular season games with B.C. and Edmonton. He’s the only CFL starter not to miss playing time this year; remarkable given the 40-plus sacks he endured in the first half of the season.

Reilly was clearly frustrated during that run, but said it had nothing to do with the punishment, only that the Lions missed out on potentially successful plays.

“I think you guys know me well enough to know that I don’t ever care about the hits. I don’t care about physically how it feels, I embrace that part of our game. I don’t care about a defender coming in and hitting me,” said Reilly, who has been voted the league’s toughest player in the past.

Putting himself in position to finish each play, game and season is part and parcel of his value to his team. It’s not something he takes for granted, especially after a knee injury wiped out half the 2015 season for him.

“I think you learn over the years it’s important to be available to your team, so you try to play in a manner that makes you healthy. I spend a lot of time in the off-season trying to get prepared for the punishment that football players take over the course of a season.

“I don’t think you can ever eliminate all of the risk of injury, in fact you can’t eliminate most of it, you’ve got to be a little bit lucky and fight through some things.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I was a little disappointed that we decided to let Danny come in for the short yardage so I couldn’t rack up my usual freebie fantasy points.” – B.C. QB Mike Reilly joking about backup Danny O’Brien’s pair of one-yard TDs in a romp over Toronto.

44 – League-worst turnovers committed by each of Toronto and Ottawa. Saskatchewan (18) and Montreal (22) combined have committed only 40.

77 – League-low combined rushing yards for Calgary QBs. Every other CFL team has at least 172. Winnipeg leads with 621.

93 – Receiving yards required for B.C.’s Bryan Burnham to establish a new career-high of 1,393. He has already set a career high with a 56-yard reception and tied another with his ninth TD.

WEEK 18 RANKINGS

Hamilton (1)

How hard will it be for the Ticats to refuse the off-season trade proposals from Toronto and Ottawa for QB Dane Evans, who has helped guide them to first in the east? Good problem to have, with Jeremiah Masoli coming off a major injury.

Saskatchewan (3)

The Riders are the darlings du jour in the West and DE Charleston Hughes is telling everyone who will listen that it’s their time. If they beat the Stamps in Calgary this week, he will seem somewhat prophetic, as that would all but wrap up the west title.

Montreal (4)

Will a home playoff date be enough to convince DE John Bowman to hang around for a 15th season? With eight sacks and 40 tackles, Bowman has been integral to their turnaround, though not as influential as QB Vernon Adams Jr.

Calgary (2)

They’re now chasing the Riders down the stretch and that can’t be comfortable territory for the perennial front-runners in the West. Their home game against Saskatchewan on Friday is an absolute must-win.

B.C. (7)

Their obliteration of Toronto last week featured the unstoppable Mike Reilly-to-Bryan Burnham connection that everyone envisioned as soon as the free agent QB signed with B.C. in February. Better late than never. And they’re still in it, for now.

Winnipeg (5)

The Bombers, who have been struggling along with QB Chris Streveler, made a trade deadline move to acquire Zach Collaros from Toronto. Veteran support for Streveler? Or the new starter? Their defence is good, but too many turnovers by the offence had Winnipeg sliding into oblivion.

Edmonton (6)

Injuries to QBs Trevor Harris (throwing arm) and Logan Kilgore (leg) are muddying the look of the Esks’ roster for what could be a playoff-clinching home game against B.C. And it sounds like RB C.J. Gable is also out. Ouch.

Ottawa (9)

Having lost the heart of their offence in free agency, and over-estimated the efficacy of quarterbacks Dom Davis and Jon Jennings, the Redblacks must start over. They’ll hand the ball to third-string QB Will Arndt this week and hope he might be ready for 2020. Or they’ll trade for Dane Evans.

Toronto (8)

Hey, Bill Manning, how do you get people to forget that 55-8 loss in B.C. last week and show up for not one, but two home games against Ottawa this month? Pinball Clemons. Yeah. That’s the ticket.

WEEK 18 PICKS

Ottawa (3-11) at Toronto (2-12)

Friday at 7 p.m. ET

A spasm of truly unfortunate scheduling has Ottawa playing in Toronto twice in a span of 16 days this month. Two non-playoff teams going at it in a two-game Toilet Bowl series. Egads, imagine the turnstile counts. The Argos gave up early and often in B.C. last week, while a bye put a brief pause on Ottawa’s horrible, seven-game losing streak. The Redblacks are starting third-stringer Will Arndt at QB in this one, Toronto will counter with … it shouldn’t matter. Argos by seven.

Saskatchewan (10-4) at Calgary (9-5)

Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET

The Riders aren’t exactly road warriors and the Stamps have already lost twice at home this season, which is a big deal for them. The Riders come in on a three-game winning streak but a Calgary victory would tie these teams at the top of the west, so there is plenty of motivation. Both teams protect their QBs well, neither team throws a ton of picks, but Calgary has fumbled the ball away too often and the Riders take way too many penalties. Flip a coin. Calgary by three.

Montreal (8-6) at Winnipeg (9-6)

Saturday at 4 p.m. ET

Montreal is rising in the east, the Bombers are sinking in the west, and in both cases a QB is responsible for the vector. The most important player in Winnipeg’s offence is RB Andrew Harris, but the most influential is QB Chris Streveler, and not in a good way of late. He has thrown just six TD passes and 10 picks and the offence is struggling mightily. Meanwhile, QB Vernon Adams Jr. has the Als cruising into a home playoff date, with 15 TD passes and eight picks. Montreal by two.

B.C. (5-10) at Edmonton (7-8)

Saturday at 7 p.m. ET

The Lions couldn’t handle the Eskimos’ pass rush in two earlier losses, but the B.C. offensive line has toughened up, and QB Mike Reilly hasn’t been sacked much in the past four games; all B.C. wins over Ottawa twice, Montreal without Vernon Adams Jr. and Toronto. The Eskimos were beaten physically and on the scoreboard in Hamilton last week and will be without RB C.J. Gable. QBs Trevor Harris (arm) and Logan Kilgore (leg) are also nursing owies. Smells a bit like an upset. B.C. by three.

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